NYAPRS Note: The following comes from Michael Miriello who urges submissions to a new publication of Yale University named The Perch, which is intended to be “a ‘venue’ of kind for artists, particularly the literary and visual artist whose life has been affected by mental illness, it’s lived experience, or by any kind of patient or ex-patient status within psychiatric practice.

Michael goes on to write that “as a published poet I am very enthusiastic about this publication and what it represents in the way of opportunity for the artist. I have no doubt that artists who have their work successfully accepted for publication will continue to experience the opportunity for positive feelings of self-esteem and pride in their work. And anyone who submits can be proud to be an artist living in a world where such prospect for recognition is available.”

The Perch

An arts and literary magazine from the Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health

Mission:

Our arts and literary magazine, a publication of the Yale University Program for Recovery and Community Health, aims to present a wide range of voices on mental health and recovery-both from established writers and from new, emerging authors and artists. We look to publish original, creative work in a variety of genres, including but not limited to, essays, poetry, fiction, and personal narratives. In addition, we welcome visual artwork and multi-media contributions for publication in our Parachute Factory section. The Perch is a venue for individuals-whether living with a mental illness themselves, friends or family of someone who has a mental illness, working in the mental health field, or simply interested in exploring issues related to mental health-to share their work.

About the title:

We conceptualize a “perch” as both a higher vantage point from which to survey an area and gain a new perspective as well as a place upon which to rest. Our magazine’s goal is to paint a broad landscape of the many paths to recovery, and offer a vantage point from which to listen to voices that are often silenced or ignored. We also see the image of an object perched on a branch as a metaphor for what can be, for some, a delicate balancing act of attending to wellness while at the same time living a full life in which mental illness is just one component. Last, but not least, we chose the title because we are a publication of the Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health (PRCH).

Our section for visual and multimedia art is called The Parachute Factory, a gesture towards the history of the building where Yale-PRCH is housed, which was used to manufacture parachutes during World War II and which currently serves as a gallery space. We also like to think of our magazine as providing a comfortable space for risk-taking in the arts and self-expression, much like a parachute allows for soft landings, even amidst the harshest territory.

Instructions for submitting your work:

Writing: All submissions should be double spaced, in 12-point font, and under 5,000 words. You can submit one piece of prose (fiction or nonfiction) and up to five poems at a time. Please include a brief description of your work (e.g. nonfiction, poem) and tell us how you found out about The Perch.

Arts & multimedia: If you are submitting artwork to the Parachute Factory section, we require a high resolution image of your piece. You can also submit multimedia files.

Privacy: Please make sure not to include identifying information for individuals other than yourself in your work. You can refer to HIPAA guidelines to make sure that you are respecting others’ privacy.

Emailing submissions: You can email your submissions, including artwork and multimedia pieces, to erica.stern@yale.edu. Please attach your submission as a word document to an email with the subject line

“SUBMISSION: THE PERCH.”

Mailing Submissions: If you are mailing a hard copy of your piece, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Please do not send your original manuscript as we will not be able to return submissions.